Maintaining the well being of the GI tract of a mammal is a very desirable goal. Particularly relevant are inflammatory conditions of the GI tract. The Desulfovibrio spp. bacteria (including but not limited to desulfuricans, intestinalis, vulgaris etc.) are sulfate reducing bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide which when released by the bacteria, can cause inflammation cells of the GI tract. Helicobacter bacteria (including but not limited to heilmannii, felix, pylori, bizzozeronii, salomonis) can cause ulcerations and inflammation of the cells of the stomach and upper intestines. Some signs of inflammation of the GI tract include acute or chronic diarrhea, soft stools, blood in stool, vomiting, poor nutrient digestion and absorption, weight loss and poor appetite. Diseases such as gastritis, enteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, some types of cancer and others are known to have GI inflammation as a main component. Pathogenic bacteria such as Desulfovibrio spp., which reduce sulfate to sulfide, can also cause an increase in gas or stool odor due to increased levels of sulfide or other odiferous compounds in the stool.
We have now found that cats with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher number of Desulfovibrio and/or Helicobacter spp. than normal, healthy cats. We have also found that Helicobacter was detectable in all cats with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) whereas only 5/12 normal cats treated had detectable levels of helicobacter. We have also found that 45% of tested IBD cats had levels of bifidobacteria, a beneficial bacterial group, below standard detection levels, while 9% of normal, healthy cats had bifcdofacteria below standard detection levels.